When my work had to close for a few months because of the government and I was stuck at home I started looking at shows I watched during my childhood. There I found my old love for Thomas the Tank Engine which I used to watch a lot when I was a kid and thought I had outgrown it, but found my old love for the series especially the model series.

I also learn how bad HIT Entertainment's Season 8 – 16 was while hearing the Mattel CGI series is good, but for me the model era Season 1 – 6 and part of Season 7 will always be the best to me, fond memories of them.

I had seen many Humanized versions & stories of Thomas & the Tank Engine & Friends than read Darkknight55's story, which I heavily advise checking out as it is good, and got inspired to try it myself. Got their permission and blessing to follow their work, but I will do mine a bit differently so I am not copy and pasting their work.

Well here we go.

I do not own Thomas the Tank/Thomas & Friends or I would have kept them in their models forms.

Sodor will be following YouTuber The Unlucky Tug's map of Sodor. His videos is called Every Line on the Island of Sodor Explained (Seasons 1 -7) – Sodor Explained and The Island of Sodor Map – May 2021 Updates! Great Waterton, The Wharf, and More — Sodor Explained. I suggest watching it to get the mental image of what my Sodor looks like.

Every Line on the Island of Sodor Explained (Seasons 1-7) — Sodor Explained - YouTube

The Island of Sodor Map – May 2021 Updates! Great Waterton, The Wharf, and More — Sodor Explained

Across the Walney Channel from the Mainland is the island country of Sodor.

Here is where the North Western Railway is.

It serves as the main standard gauge rail network for the Island of Sodor run by Sir Topham Hatt; a man well respected by many and who has a soft spot for Steam Engines despite they were becoming rare these days because of the rise of Diesel-powered engines, but despite others going with Diesel he will always prefer steam as they will always be special to him.

So far he has three Engine drivers that run his Railway, but he is always on the look for more drivers as his railway starts getting more popular as it was one of the last steam powered railways left in all of the world.

So, one day he sat in his office looking over the resume of someone applying to be an engine driver. "Pretty young and very recently got out of training, but could use another driver here, especially to silence the complains from Gordon about shunting."

With his mind settled, a new driver was hired to work on the North Western Railway.

Sometime later…

Thomas is a 20-year-old young man with short black hair and wearing blue overalls, he was just recently hired by Sir Topham Hatt who took a liking to the young man who is eager to work and show what he can do.

On his first day Sir Topham Hatt showed him around so he could get familiar with the stations and other places of work, though right now he said Thomas will be mostly working at Knapford station as a station pilot.

Knapford Station was where the Mainline started and where all Mainline trains being passenger or goods. Behind Knapford Station is Knapford Docks which was the main shipping yard on Sodor and many goods trains come from or go here. There was also the Shunting Yards where the coaches, trucks and etc. were kept and stored than lastly there was Knapford Sheds and Bunkhouse where the engines and their drivers stayed.

Thomas was shown all of this and this made him more excited to see more of the island, but he knew that he has to start somewhere so he was fine with it working at Knapford for now.

On his first day he didn't get to do much work as his engine that Sir Topham Hatt had bought for him from Brighton to use still had to arrive, but eventually arrived that afternoon and when Thomas saw it; it was a LB&SCR Class E2 0-6-0T like engine with some differences that made it different from ones.

Thomas liked it and felt it suited him though he didn't exactly like the Teal and white paint colour. Sir Topham Hatt also said they will be replacing the number 70 with 1.

Both got to test driving the engine and Sir Topham Hatt wanted to see Thomas's skillset for himself, which was he pleased by, though he could tell Thomas still needs some learning, but he knew that will come from time at work.

Next he called for Edward who was an older man in late 30s who had been one of the first to work for Sir Topham Hatt when he first opened the railway. He had short dark brown hair and wore blue overalls with the number 2 on it. Sir Topham Hatt asked him to show Thomas how work and what to do which Edward happily agreed to do.

Thomas immediately liked Edward as he was very kind to him and patient with him too never once getting mad when Thomas made a mistake. Edward had also introduced him to the other drivers, Gordon and Henry.

Gordon was a stocky and tall man with short blond hair while wearing blue overalls too with the number 4 on them. He was immediately rude to Thomas straight up and kind of looked down on him which made Thomas dislike him, vowing to prank him whenever he can to get back at him.

Henry was just as tall as Gordon, but not as stocky as him and despite one could sense some ego there like Gordon, he actually warmly greeted Thomas and treated him well, Thomas liked him straight away.

Thomas was shy at first, but was determined to show much of a hard worker he was. Overtime he got into the rhythm of work and Edward was proud of him for his work as Thomas showed he didn't need Edward to supervise him, but Thomas still enjoys Edward's company whenever he can. Which Edward felt the same for in return as Thomas's eagerness and energy reminded Edward of himself when he first started.

One morning as Thomas was waiting for his engine fire's start he was chatting with Edward who Thomas noticed was always at the bunkhouse.

During their chat Thomas looked over and saw a blue tender-engine on its own in the shed and he couldn't decide what kind of engine it was as it had characteristics of different kinds to it. He could only tell it was some sort of Mix Traffic kind.

"Hey who drives that engine?" He asked pointing and Edward looked over before letting out a sad sigh.

"That is mine." He said sadly and Thomas could feel the sorrow in his voice before seeing the faded number 2 on the tender along with how dirty from dust the engine was.

"Why don't you drive it now?" Thomas asked and saw the sadness in Edward's eyes who sighed again.

"She was the first engine Sir Topham Hatt bought and I drove it… She was the pride of the line as she could handle coaches, even the empress, and handle good train runs. She was at first the only engine around… before Gordon and Henry came with their larger and powerful engines. They could handle the work twice as fast and overtime…" He sighed and looked down. "She became un-needed…"

Thomas listened on with a sad look on his face and wished he could do something to cheer Edward up. Then, he got an idea that he hoped could work.

"I'll show something later Edward that will cheer you up."

Edward looked at him with a interested look, but nods and watched as Thomas left the sheds to gather Henry's train.

Thomas saw it was a simple train; two of the Green Express Coaches, a Van and a Break-Van. He quickly got it already for Henry and pulled it back into the station where Henry was already waiting.

"All good for you Henry." He called out.

"Thanks Thomas." Henry called back before he reversed back and coupled up to the train which left not long after.

Thomas watched it leave before seeing some empty coaches that goes to pull away so whoever pulled them could a rest before their next train. As he pulled the coaches away he could see Gordon on a siding and could see the man taking a nap in the cab. Here was his chance to cause some mischief.

He pulled his engine up next to Gordon's and could see the bigger driver dozing. He smirked before he blew his whistle loudly and laughed as he saw Gordon jumps with a great start.

"Wake up lazybones! Why don't you do some hard work like me!" Thomas laughed before driving off, leaving the other driver fuming in the cab of his engine.

This would continue on for a few more days with Thomas spooking and surprising Gordon whenever he got the chance.

After one last time where Gordon was about to take a nap in the bunkhouse Thomas had snuck up to him with a whistle. He blew it really loudly making Gordon awake with a start and fall off the coach landing on the floor in a heap.

"Thomas!" He shouts fuming.

"You can't catch me!" Thomas shouts as he ran away laughing leaving Gordon fuming even more.

Later on, he had told Edward of his antics.

"Be careful Thomas, eventually karma will come." He warned the younger driver who simply brushes off his warning saying he will be fine. Though he didn't realise Gordon had actually been planning on how he could get back at Thomas for all his antics.

The next morning Thomas was having troubles with his engine. He just couldn't get the fire the start.

"Oh, come on you bloody Muppet…" He mumbled annoyed.

At the station Gordon was waiting for Thomas to fetch the coaches for the Express which was the main Passenger Train of the railway as it travels the entire Mainline. The Express starts at Knapford Station, travels through Lower Tidmouth before stopping at Tidmouth Station, it than travels through Elsbridge only stopping at it on return journies, it than also travels through Crosby, it than stops at Wellsworth only when heading eastbound, it travels through Maron, it than travels through Cronk before stopping Kildane than goes through Balladrine, it also travels through Kellsthorpe Road, it than stops at Crovan's Gate station before travelling on and ending at Vicarstown. When the North-Western Railway first opened it was only from Tidmouth to Wellsworth and Edward would take the express up and down it, but when Railway go much bigger Edward had troubles travelling the distance with the Express as it had gotten even heavier during that time so hence why when Sir Topham Hatt hired Gordon and Henry he got them much bigger engines that could pull the Express easily and go up & down the entire Mainline easily. This was something Gordon bragged about so much as he tends to pull the Express the most and claims he was the fastest & strongest too.

The passengers stood on the platforms at Knapford annoyed that their train wasn't ready yet. Gordon too was annoyed, but he decided to not complain about it as he got a plan and he will be patient so he can carry it out, but was still annoyed.

"Finally! Hope Gordon is still there." Thomas said as he finally got his engine started and was already late which annoyed him as the thing he wanted to show Edward was ready, but that will have to wait.

He hurried to Knapford and wasted no time rounding up the three Green Express Coaches that were needed for the Express.

Gordon saw him reverse into the station with the coaches and was so annoyed with the younger engine driver that he didn't bother hiding it.

"Hurry up you." He barked at Thomas who only grumbled back as he brought the coaches to the station platform. "Hurry yourself."

"Yes, I will." Gordon said to himself and before even the coaches had even stopped at the platform Gordon reversed his engine back very quickly. "Get in quickly please!" He called out as the shunter coupled his engine to the coaches and passengers boarded the coaches. Thomas waited for when Gordon was ready and got his engine ready to give Gordon's train a push to help start it up quickly and waited to be uncoupled.

However, the moment Gordon saw the last of passengers and the guard hop into the coaches he immediately started his engine making it start off quickly…with Thomas still attached.

"Gordon wait!" He called but Gordon didn't wait as he finally got his revenge and rocketed down the tracks dragging Thomas behind his train.

And Gordon was to take him down the Mainline and there was no need to stop at Tidmouth as there was no passengers needed to be picked up or dropped there. So it wasn't going to be a long ride for Thomas

Thomas tried to brake, but his little engine was no match for Gordon's much bigger and more powerful tender engine that pulled him along so easily. Eventually Thomas started getting sick from the great speed was he forced to endure.

Eventually what felt like forever they arrived at Wellsworth station where Gordon decided that Thomas had enough and let Thomas be finally uncoupled, but Thomas was nauseous from the experience.

"Well, well. Now, Thomas, you see what hard work really is." Gordon laughed as he saw Thomas pull off to a siding and then stumbled out to get a drink from a nearby refreshment stand. Thomas groaned as he drank than saw Gordon race off again and vowed to never to be cheeky to Gordon again.

Later he returned to the sheds where Edward was waiting.

"I told you so." He sighed helping the younger man out of his engine, but then saw his engine and what Thomas had done.

It was now blue with red stripes just like his engine and Thomas saw this before smiling.

"Asked Sir Topham Hatt for a repaint. So, your engine still rides the rails in spirit." He said and Edward smiled at him. "Thanks Thomas." He said to him before helping Thomas to bed before heading off to bed himself.

He was happy for Thomas cheering him up and if he didn't ride the rails again at least it will in spirit with Thomas.

Though deep inside he hopes to ride the rails again. Let's hope he does again.

That was my first ever story of Thomas the Tank Engine/Thomas & Friends and first ever humanized story of something like this.

Let me know what you guys think.